Guard Ryan Cornish has transferred to Southern California from Dartmouth, where he played four seasons. Cornish started 23 of 27 games for the Big Green as a senior, averaging 17.1 points and 4.9 rebounds to earn All-Ivy League first-team honors. “Ryan is a combo guard that can give us versatility at both guard spots,” Trojans coach Eric Musselman said.
Mets Injury Notes: Sean Manaea's first rehab start set, good news on Mark Vientos
Prior to Wednesday's matchup with the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave updates on a number of injured players...
Sean Manaea's first rehab start set
The Mets skipper revealed when Manaea will finally get some game action after a months-long recovery process from a strained right oblique.
Mendoza said that Manaea is scheduled to have his first rehab start on Friday with High-A Brooklyn. The Cyclones are on the road, but Manaea will appear in that game with the expectation to have two ups and 35 pitches or so.
Manaea threw 29 pitches in a live bullpen that "went well" earlier this week and the Mets starter recovered well and is not ready for the ramp up until he returns to the Mets rotation.
Frankie Montas' next step unclear
Montas has had a few rehab outings as the veteran right-hander recovers from a lat strain, and his latest came Tuesday with Triple-A. It was the first rehab start for Montas in Syracuse and he was not effective across his four-plus innings of work.
Mendoza was asked about Montas and the Mets skipper said they have to wait to see how he recovers from his latest start but he did not know how many rehab starts his pitcher will need. He did say they wanted to continue to build him up, but they have 20 days until his rehab assignment is officially completed, and they will have to revisit then.
In Tuesday's start, Montas threw 61 pitches (43 strikes) but allowed six hits, three for home runs.
Good news on Mark Vientos
The Mets placed Vientos on the 10-day IL on Tuesday with a hamstring strain but Mendoza provided a positive update on the young slugger.
"We got relatively good news. It’s a low-grade strain," he said. "Going to treat it for the next 10-14 days until he’s symptom-free and then ramp him back up. Good news there."
Vientos hit a slow grounder to the left side in extra innings of Monday's game but collapsed running up the first base line and stayed down for a bit. He eventually got back up and grabbed his hamstring as he made his way to the dugout. After the game, Mendoza said the injury "didn't look good" so he was pleasantly surprised by the results of the testing on Vientos.
"You never know, guy goes down the way he did. You kinda expect the worst," Mendoza said. "Once he went through all the testing, talking to the trainers - You hate to see him go down at any time, the fact that it’s low-grade, it’s good news."
Vientos will rest for a minimum of 10 days and see if he's symptom-free before he starts baseball activities and then he will be ramped back up.
In the meantime, prospect Ronny Mauricio was called up and is seeing time at third base while Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna and Jeff McNeil split time at second.
Michigan State athletic director J Batt says he’s leading a top-10 department in college sports
The school’s next athletic director made it clear that the football program must lead the way to make his statement ring true.
The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live: Join The Chat As Oilers Host Panthers In Game 1 Of Cup Final
Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.
After each game of the Stanley Cup final, our experts go live to react to the match that was, break down the key moments and storylines and read your opinions.
On tonight's show, Michael Traikos and Katie Gaus will break down Game 1 between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers with Avry Lewis-McDougall joining live from inside Rogers Place.
During the game, join the conversation in the comment section and send in your questions. They may end up on the post-game show.
Florida Panthers vs Edmonton Oilers Game 1 - Playoff FrenzyWelcome to Playoff Frenzy Live by The Hockey News presented by STIX.com, where we give our live reactions and break down the latest news to all the biggest g...Stay tuned to The Hockey News and Playoff Frenzy Live throughout the Stanley Cup final.
Promo image credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Connor McDavid & The Oilers Time Is Now
EDMONTON – The time is now.
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers have been denied for too long.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more.
“The Rematch” against the Florida Panthers has a different feeling around hockey circles than the first run-through did last year. McDavid experienced complete heartbreak last postseason.
He’s not going to let it happen again.
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The Oilers have home ice advantage for the first time this postseason. It might not seem like a lot, but the Oilers have been stellar at home this playoffs.
They sport a 6-1 record at home to go along with a 56.3 percent powerplay success rate and an 83.3 percent penalty kill rate. Additionally, they have a +16 goal differential and a .917 team save percentage.
Each of the three previous teams to make it to the Stanley Cup Final the year after they lost the Cup Final ended up winning it. The last three teams were the Panthers in 2024, the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, and the 1984 Oilers (Wayne Gretzky’s first cup).
#LetsGoOilers are 12-2 since starting the playoffs 0-2. Each of the last 7 teams to make the Cup Final after going 0-2 in their first series of the playoffs went on to win the Stanley Cup:
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 4, 2025
WSH - 2018
LA - 2014
BOS - 2011
CAR - 2006
DET - 2002
MTL - 1993
PIT - 1992
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, maybe this last stat might. Each of the previous seven teams to make the Cup Final after losing the first two games of the playoffs has gone on to win the Cup. Those teams were: 1992 Penguins, 1993 Montreal Canadiens, 2002 Detroit Red Wings, 2006 Carolina Hurricanes, 2011 Boston Bruins, 2014 Los Angeles Kings, and the 2018 Washington Capitals.
McDavid (and the Oilers)'s time is now.
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Oilers' Leon Draisaitl scores OT winner vs. Panthers in Stanley Cup Final Game 1
Oilers' Leon Draisaitl scores OT winner vs. Panthers in Stanley Cup Final Game 1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play in overtime, Stuart Skinner made 29 saves and the Edmonton Oilers erased a multigoal deficit to beat the defending champion Florida Panthers 4-3 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final rematch on Wednesday night.
MCDAVID TO DRAISAITL, THE OILERS TAKE GAME ONE IN OVERTIME 🤯🚨 pic.twitter.com/fh0LTyjRPl
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 5, 2025
After Tomas Nosek’s penalty for putting the puck over the glass, Draisaitl’s goal 19:29 into OT sent the home fans into a frenzy and made sure the Oilers would not start this series like they did a year ago, when they fell behind three games to none.
For a while, it looked like they would at least start out trailing. Draisaitl’s goal 66 seconds in was followed later in the first period by Sam Bennett deflecting a shot in past Stuart Skinner after falling into him.
Edmonton’s Kris Knoblauch unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference, with the NHL’s situation room ruling that his own player, Jake Walman, tripped Bennett into Skinner. The resulting penalty paved the way for Florida’s Brad Marchand to score the go-ahead goal on the power play.
Bennett scoring his second of the night early in the second period put the Panthers up 3-1. They entered 31-0 over the past three playoffs since coach Paul Maurice took over when leading at the first or second intermission.
With Connor McDavid leading the way, the Oilers rallied. Fourth-liner Viktor Arvidsson brought the crowd back to life early in the second, and fellow Swede Mattias Ekholm — playing just his second game back from an extended injury absence — tied it with 13:27 remaining in regulation off a perfect pass from McDavid.
At the other end, Skinner made a handful of saves that were vital to keeping the Panthers from extending their lead or tying it late in the third. Florida counterpart Sergei Bobrovsky did the same, in between derisive chants of “Sergei! Sergei!” that followed goals he allowed.
Skinner was greeted with friendlier chants of “Stuuuu” after saves, including one in the first minute of overtime on a quality scoring chance. Bobrovsky stone-cold robbed Trent Frederic nine minutes in but eventually cracked.
Up next
Game 2 is Friday night in Edmonton before the series shifts to Sunrise, Florida for Games 3 and 4.
Oilers' Leon Draisaitl scores OT winner vs. Panthers in Stanley Cup Final Game 1
Oilers' Leon Draisaitl scores OT winner vs. Panthers in Stanley Cup Final Game 1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play in overtime, Stuart Skinner made 29 saves and the Edmonton Oilers erased a multigoal deficit to beat the defending champion Florida Panthers 4-3 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final rematch on Wednesday night.
MCDAVID TO DRAISAITL, THE OILERS TAKE GAME ONE IN OVERTIME 🤯🚨 pic.twitter.com/fh0LTyjRPl
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 5, 2025
After Tomas Nosek’s penalty for putting the puck over the glass, Draisaitl’s goal 19:29 into OT sent the home fans into a frenzy and made sure the Oilers would not start this series like they did a year ago, when they fell behind three games to none.
For a while, it looked like they would at least start out trailing. Draisaitl’s goal 66 seconds in was followed later in the first period by Sam Bennett deflecting a shot in past Stuart Skinner after falling into him.
Edmonton’s Kris Knoblauch unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference, with the NHL’s situation room ruling that his own player, Jake Walman, tripped Bennett into Skinner. The resulting penalty paved the way for Florida’s Brad Marchand to score the go-ahead goal on the power play.
Bennett scoring his second of the night early in the second period put the Panthers up 3-1. They entered 31-0 over the past three playoffs since coach Paul Maurice took over when leading at the first or second intermission.
With Connor McDavid leading the way, the Oilers rallied. Fourth-liner Viktor Arvidsson brought the crowd back to life early in the second, and fellow Swede Mattias Ekholm — playing just his second game back from an extended injury absence — tied it with 13:27 remaining in regulation off a perfect pass from McDavid.
At the other end, Skinner made a handful of saves that were vital to keeping the Panthers from extending their lead or tying it late in the third. Florida counterpart Sergei Bobrovsky did the same, in between derisive chants of “Sergei! Sergei!” that followed goals he allowed.
Skinner was greeted with friendlier chants of “Stuuuu” after saves, including one in the first minute of overtime on a quality scoring chance. Bobrovsky stone-cold robbed Trent Frederic nine minutes in but eventually cracked.
Up next
Game 2 is Friday night in Edmonton before the series shifts to Sunrise, Florida for Games 3 and 4.
NHL, NHLPA Leaders Dismiss Concerns About Teams In Tax-Free States Having An Advantage
EDMONTON – NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly held their annual Stanley Cup press conference before Game 1, and the lack of drama was actually a great sign for the league.
One topic that did get on Bettman's nerves, however, was all the talk about how teams, such as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, have been so successful lately, given that they reside in a tax-free state.
Bettman even had Daly answer the question of whether the NHL will be looking to address the matter in the next collective bargaining agreement because the commissioner said he hates the issue.
For the record, Daly said there are no plans to address the matter in the next CBA, which the league and NHLPA are working on right now. While he said some franchises have raised it as a concern, the league isn't worried at this point.
"These imbalances have existed forever," Daly said. "There's nothing new here. There are so many reasons why a player may choose to play in a particular location for a particular team, for a particular coach, that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market."
Hockey & Taxes: What An NHL Player Pays In Taxes Depending On Their TeamNHL players must deal with two certainties: the eventual death of their career and the taxes they will pay during it. We calculated the taxes they will pay.
Ron Hainsey, the NHLPA's assistant executive director, had some great words on the matter after the press conference, when he and union head Marty Walsh had their own scrum with reporters.
"Who ran the league between 2008 and ’20?" Hainsey said. "Boston, Pittsburgh, L.A., Chicago, Detroit for a bit. Were we supposed to expect Tampa and Florida not to be good at some point? I'm baffled this keeps coming up. You never hear about this in the NFL or NBA."
Otherwise, Bettman and Daly addressed a number of topics.
On how the current CBA negotiations are going compared to in the past: "No comparison," Bettman said. "We are having very constructive, cordial dialogue. I think we're in really good shape."
Walsh echoed this sentiment.
On expansion into markets such as Houston, Atlanta or Phoenix: "We've gotten a lot of interest," Daly said. The deputy commissioner went on to note that there are no formal expansion bid processes on the docket, but if someone came to the NHL with a strong plan, they would take it to the Board of Governors.
Elsewhere, look for the New York Islanders to get some sort of all-star event in 2027 to replace the one initially announced for 2026 ahead of the Olympics. Do not expect a change to overtime/shootout rules in the regular season, and don't even ask Bettman about play-in games being added to the NHL schedule.
"By the way, we had a play-in," Bettman said. "Did you know that three clubs' positions in the playoffs weren't determined until the last game that they played in the regular season? We think that what we have is working very well."
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
Guardians pitcher Ben Lively has Tommy John surgery, expected to miss 12-18 months
May 12, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively (39) delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
David Richard-Imagn Images
CLEVELAND — Guardians pitcher Ben Lively had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday morning.
Dr. Keith Meister did a right elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with a flexor tendon repair on the 33-year-old Lively in Dallas.
Lively will have a postoperative recheck Thursday before reporting to the Guardians' spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona, to begin his rehabilitation. He is expected to miss 12-18 months.
Lively exited the May 12 game against the Milwaukee Brewers due to a strained right flexor tendon after going three scoreless innings. He felt some discomfort after a start at Washington on May 6, but didn’t experience it again until he threw a couple of warm up pitches in the game against the Brewers.
Lively was 2-2 with a 3.22 ERA in nine starts this season. He allowed only one run in 14 innings in three May starts.
Adam Silver says 2026 All-Star Game will be USA vs. World format
This isn't a surprise, but NBA Commissioner confirmed what had already been discussed: The 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles will be a USA vs. World format.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirms there will be USA vs. the World in the 2026 All-Star Game
— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1) June 4, 2025
"I'm not exactly sure what the format will be yet. I paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did, which was a huge success."@craigcartonlive | @DannyParkins | @markschlerethpic.twitter.com/WsEzhe4Jkk
This is a natural fit, given that the All-Star Game broadcast is moving to NBC and falls during the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics next February. While Silver was vague on details, this is expected to be a Ryder Cup-style format, featuring the USA vs. the World.
Will that get players to actually care about the All-Star Game rather than just go through the motions? Asked about it last All-Star weekend, the international players seemed more enthusiastic about the idea than the Americans.
"I would love that. Oh, I would love that," the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I'd take pride in that. I always compete, but I think that will give me a little bit more extra juice to compete, like having Shai, Jokic, Luka, Wemby, Towns, Sengun. I know those players — obviously I'm missing some guys that I cannot think from the top of my head, going against the best U.S. players. I think it would be fun. I think that would be the best format."
"I would love to. My opinion is that it's more purposeful," the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama said. "There's more pride in it. More stakes."
The top end of a hypothetical world roster would be stacked — the last seven MVP winners were international players. The world team would feature Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Antetokounmpo, Wembanyama and more. An American team likely would feature LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jalen Brunson, and its roster likely would be deeper than the World Team.
It's going to be entertaining to watch when it rolls around next February.
Sabres Should Be Focusing On Trading For This Veteran Stanley Cup-Winner
The Buffalo Sabres are in need of many things this summer -- but more than anything else, they need some veterans to come in and establish a winning standard for a new era for the franchise. And while it won't be a cakewalk to acquire the type of talent that can change things for the Sabres, that doesn't mean Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams shouldn't be swinging for the fences in trades and free agency.
And one intriguing possibility for the Sabres is a veteran center with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume -- Calgary Flames star Nazem Kadri. The 34-year-old is coming off a career-best scoring season, with 35 goals and 67 points. And he's locked up to a very reasonable salary that pays him $7-million per season for the next four years.
Now, Kadri has said he's comfortable in Calgary, and he has a full no-trade clause this year, so this admittedly could be a pipe dream. However, what's the harm in Adams making a pitch to the Flames for Kadri's services? He's an Ontario native who might want to play much closer to home than Alberta is. And although Calgary narrowly missed out on the playoffs this past season, you can make a solid argument that the Sabres have more overall depth and talent than the Flames. Maybe he wants to take a bigger swing with a new team.
And if it does work out, Kadri will make Buffalo a much tougher team to play against -- something that most observers want to see from a newly-rejigged Sabres team. And even if Kadri's play begins to slip, you're still getting someone who knows what it is to be a winner, and who knows how to be a true professional.
Players like Kadri aren't going to fall into Buffalo's lap. Adams will have to make the move worth Calgary's while, and that means giving up young players and draft picks that will be part of the Flames long-term rebuild. But the Sabres have plenty of those type of assets, and if they do want to take the next competitive step, they're going to have to pay a steep price for it.
Sabres Won't Land Maple Leafs' Marquee Free Agents -- But They Can Set Their Sights On This Young Leafs Player Via TradeThe Buffalo Sabres have $23.2 million in salary cap space to play with this summer. But for reasons we've covered in this THN.com article, Sabres fans can forget about acquiring Toronto Maple Leafs star and UFA right winger Mitch Marner. It's just not happening, folks. Marner probably isn't coming back to Toronto, but he's damn sure not coming to a team that hasn't made the playoffs in nearly a decade-and-a-half. And the same goes for Leafs UFA center John Tavares, who is going to happily accept a major pay cut from the $11-million he made this year if it means staying with his beloved hometown Leafs.
But that said, Kadri would be a terrific option for Buffalo. In a market where top-six forwards are hard to come by, acquiring Kadri from the Flames would be a gigantic win for Adams and Sabres brass. It's not going to be easy by any means, but a gamble on Kadri could pay off in a very big way.
Kadri isn't a game-changer per se, but he is someone who would put a burr into the Sabres' saddle. And that's precisely what this organization needs at the moment. Adams may well look to other options to change the culture around the team, but if he can pry Kadri out of Calgary's hands, it could be one of the key moves that turns the Sabres from perennial disappointment to a playoff team at long last.
Sabres Moving On From Rising Free Agent Star Would Be A Disastrous DecisionAfter 14 years of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres have to change up their lineup. However, this organization cannot afford to play fast-and-loose with most of their assets -- and that includes up-and-coming left winger J.J. Peterka.
So yes, Kadri is definitely worth enquiring about for Buffalo, and stranger things have happened in the NHL than seeing Kadri in a Sabres uniform. You never know until you try, and the Sabres should be trying their utmost to bring in a player with the pedigree that Kadri has. He can help set a new standard for this organization, and he'd be well worth the price Buffalo would have to pay for him.
Johnson helps Giants find spark in emotional win vs. Padres
Johnson helps Giants find spark in emotional win vs. Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Standing on second base and staring straight into the Giants’ dugout, Heliot Ramos pounded his chest twice and finished his fiery moment of pure excitement with the three best words in sports: “Let’s f–king go!”
Ramos had just hammered the hardest-hit ball of the night, a one-hopper off the left-field wall with the bases loaded to tie the game at five runs apiece in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Giants once had trailed the San Diego Padres — a team they hadn’t beaten in four tries this season and had a seven-game losing streak against since September of last season — 5-0 before coming back to earn a 6-5 win Wednesday night at Oracle Park.
Jung Hoo Lee’s sacrifice fly right after Ramos’ double gave San Francisco the lead, and the bullpen slammed the door shut on San Diego.
The talk of the town had been the Giants’ reeling offense, leading to a major roster shakeup earlier in the day. They needed a jolt; a spark had to be lit. Multiple players had a hand in igniting a wick and lighting a fire in front of the home fans.
None brought pure adulation quite like Ramos’ swing after the seventh-inning stretch.
“It was not only in our dugout, but the crowd went … I mean, that’s as loud as we’ve heard them all year,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said after the win. “It’s pretty inspiring when you haven’t scored any runs and you’re down 5-0 to one of the better pitchers in the National League. Now we get into a situation where we got a chance, and it was pretty loud.
“Big hit, big response by the crowd. Obviously a huge win for us.”
Ramos joined NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt and Shawn Estes on “Giants Postgame Live”, and called the win “a very emotional game, mostly mentally.”
“When they scored those five runs, it was really tough,” Ramos said. “Then we started putting at-bats together. We always have the support of the fans, and that’s what we love. Honestly, it was an emotional at-bat. It was an emotional game, for sure.”
The Giants on Wednesday morning designated LaMonte Wade Jr. for assignment as part of multiple roster moves. They had lost the first two games of the series against the Padres, almost exclusively because of a sputtering offense that hadn’t scored five or more runs since May 16. Ramos, their All-Star left fielder, is supposed to be a bat the Giants can lean on, and San Francisco did when it mattered most.
The same goes with Matt Chapman. Defense always will come first for the glove manning the hot corner, but as the Giants’ cleanup hitter, Chapman also has a spotlight on him at the plate.
Prior to the Giants scoring three runs in the seventh inning to tie the game and take the lead, Chapman got them within striking distance the inning before with a two-run homer that nearly was erased from the unfriendly confines of his home park.
Chapman’s blast just barely cleared the left-field wall, literally bouncing on top of it and back into the field. He felt like he got enough of it off the bat, but there’s no telling unless it’s a no-doubter in San Francisco.
“I thought it was gone, and then by the way the left fielder started looking like he was camping under it, I was getting a little nervous there,” Chapman admitted. “I knew I hit it well, but sometimes here with the wind and it being cold, you don’t always know if it’s going to go. But I’m glad it did. We needed that.”
Though Willy Adames’ 0-for-3 night dropped his batting average down to .201, his walk to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning wound up sparking the pivotal rally. The rest of the Giants’ big-name bats — Ramos, Chapman and Lee — came up big.
Yet it was a fresh face who had just arrived from Sacramento that lit a flame as much as anybody else.
Mac Dre’s “Since ‘84” blasted across the speakers when Vallejo native Daniel Johnson first walked up to the plate. He grew up coming to Giants and Athletics games, recalling memories of Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi. It was easier to get to A’s games, but he couldn’t hide his smile before or after the game to be wearing the Orange and Black. His night began with a strikeout but only got better from there.
Johnson went 2-for-4 at the plate with two liners to center field, two runs scored and a stolen base. He had eight people in the stands for his Giants debut, including his mom, dad, brother, sister and a couple of friends. His season began in the Mexican League, where he hit the cover off the ball, and his night ended in a victory celebration, two outs after making the play of the game defensively.
With his speed, Fernando Tatis Jr. almost was assured to score from first base when Luis Arráez launched a ball 372 feet into the right-center gap with a .520 expected batting average. Johnson opened his hips, changed his cleats for track spikes and ran down a ball that was waiting to bounce off the warning track.
“I got to go. I have to run,” Johnson remembers telling himself. “He hit it — we were playing kind of in — I was running and I’m just like, ‘I have to run. I have to go.’ That was my only thought: Go get to the ball.”
There are no words for a night like Johnson had or the kind of win the Giants could finally relish in, just feelings and unbridled emotions.
“Speechless,” Johnson said. “Just enjoyed every moment of it.”
Sabres Push For Big Splash May Lead Back To Pettersson
One of the most popular rumors that circulated prior to the NHL trade deadline involved the Buffalo Sabres interest in Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson. That speculation evaporated after the trade that sent JT Miller to the NY Rangers in late January, but there may be some smoke to that fire according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
The 26-year-old center, who had the second-worst offensive season of his NHL career in the first year of an eight-year, $92.8 million deal with the Canucks, has a no-movement clause in his contract that kicks in on July 1. Buffalo is undeniably looking to shake their roster up after their 14th straight season outside of the playoffs, and has pieces that might interest Vancouver in a hockey deal.
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Pagnotta indicated that RFA defenseman Bowen Byram is likely to be moved by Buffalo, as he is slotted behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on the left side of the Sabres blueline, and said that other names such as Power, wingers JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch have been mentioned as possible trade targets. The rumors regarding Buffalo and Pettersson involved Byram and Dylan Cozens, who was dealt to Ottawa at the deadline for center Josh Norris.
There has been consistent chatter that the Canucks would expect to get a top center in a deal for Pettersson, something that the Sabres may be unwilling or unable to provide, although Norris does not have any trade protection next season. Peterka is a restricted free agent who could be a target for an offer sheet this summer, Tuch is entering the final year of his contract and makes a very reasonable $4.75 million AAV in 2025-26, while Power also is entering year two of a seven-year, $58.45 million contract and does not have any trade protection as well.
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Eleven killed in terrifying scenes as wild IPL celebrations turn deadly
Packed crowds in India celebrating their cricket team’s victory ended in a deadly stampede on Wednesday with 11 mainly young fans crushed to death, the local state’s chief minister said.
Why Finals-bound Thunder remind Livingston of 2014-15 Warriors
Why Finals-bound Thunder remind Livingston of 2014-15 Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The NBA Finals are here.
And while an Oklahoma City Thunder-Indiana Pacers Finals might not have all the glitz and glamour that comes with a Los Angeles or New York franchise playing, it’s a matchup that excites former Warriors guard Shaun Livingston.
“I like it,” Livingston told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole on Wednesday. “I mean, you look at those teams … they’re playing the best basketball obviously, you know, as a team. The connectivity, the way they’re sharing the ball, defensively, there’s great coaching on both sides. Just the way the chess match that’s being played, the game within the game and then, you know, the stars, obviously, they’re playing at a high level.”
And while the youthfulness of the two teams and their stars don’t bare many similarities with the current Warriors roster, Livingston said he sees some between the Thunder and his 2014-15 Warriors squad.
“They remind me of our first year, you know, and the way that they’re connected and also defensively the way that they can just really bite down and lock into guys, 1 through 5,” Livingston told Poole.
That first NBA championship of a now dynastic Warriors teams not only torched teams with a high-powered offense led by Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, but also played flawless defense, headlined by Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, especially in the postseason where they held opponents to an NBA-best 98.8 defensive rating en route to the team’s first title since 1975.
The three-time NBA champion also mentioned the fact that only four players on the collective rosters have Finals experience — Thomas Bryant, Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam for the Pacers and only Alex Caruso for the Thunder — and compared that to his own experiences.
“I remember our first year,” Livingston told Poole. “Just, the lights, they’re bright. That first game, it’s almost like you got to calm yourself and kind of get into the flow because you want it so much. You want to win the whole series just in that first moment because of the intensity and energy.”
While both teams in this year’s matchup have at least one player with Finals experience, that Warriors 2014-15 roster had zero.
When asked about who he expects to win, Livingston said he just wants “to see good basketball” before telling Poole that he does have the Thunder winning due to his Western Conference ties.